The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted a writ petition filed by owners of the four apartment complexes at Maradu in Kochi that have been ordered to be demolished. A petition filed by the Golden Kayaloram Residents Association has been accepted by the court registry.
The apex court had ordered the demolition of flats by September 20 as they were found to be constructed in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines. Based on this, the Maradu Municipality, the local body, had served notices to the flat owners to vacate the property within five days.
The petitioners said that there are serious flaws in the order to demolish the flat, which needs to be corrected. The three-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court has been replaced by a special secretary instead of the local self-government secretary. The three-member panel was constituted without the consent of the court, said the petitioners.
The five-member bench headed by the chief justice of India will consider the petition field by the owners. Correction petitions are usually heard in the chamber itself. But the petitioners have made a special request to consider the petition in open court. The five-member bench itself will decide on the matter.
The residents of the apartment complexes have started a hunger strike in protest against the municipality's move to demolish the buildings. The owners are on hunger strike on Thiruonam day in front of municipal office. Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden who inaugurated the protest asked the state government to move the Supreme Court to prevent the demolition of flats.
